There is a trend to consider the gene pool of the Basques as a 'living fossil' of the earliest modern humans that colonized Europe. To investigate this assumption, we have typed 45 binary markers and five short tandem repeat loci of the Y chromosome in a set of 168 male Basques. Results on these combined haplotypes were analyzed in the context of matching data belonging to approximately 3000 individuals from over 20 European, Near East and North African populations, which were compiled from the literature. Our results place the low Y-chromosome diversity of Basques within the European diversity landscape. This low diversity seems to be the result of a lower effective population size maintained through generations. At least some lineages of Y chromosome in modern Basques originated and have been evolving since pre-Neolithic times. However, the strong genetic drift experienced by the Basques does not allow us to consider Basques either the only or the best representatives of the ancestral European gene pool. Contrary to previous suggestions, we do not observe any particular link between Basques and Celtic populations beyond that provided by the Paleolithic ancestry common to European populations, nor we find evidence supporting Basques as the focus of major population expansions.

The Scandinavian branch of the Germanic languages is missing Skansk, the dialect of the Skane (Scania) region of Sweden. I believe that it was a dialect of Danish with Swedish influences. Few people speak authentic Skansk. The term is also used derisively by other Swedes to refer to the Modern Danish and Skansk influences on the Swedish used currently in the region.

Riksmal is now a dialect in Norway. Most people speak varients with Danish and Swedish influences like the official dialects of Boksmal (literary/formal speech) and Nynorsk (New Norwegian). The list is also missing Ladino (a Jewish dialect of old Spanish) and Yiddish (Jewish High German with Slavic influences)

A fascinating letter I received from a Shoshone Indian who had been traveling in the Basque country of Spain tells of his recognition of Shoshone words over there, including his own name, whose Shoshone meaning proved to match the meaning attached to a similar word by the modern Basques. Unfortunately I mislaid this interesting letter. If the Shoshone scholar who wrote to me should chance to see these words I hope he will forgive me and contact me again. The modern Basque settlers of Idaho may perhaps bring forth a linguist to investigate matters raised in this chapter. [p 173]

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

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